City of Powell River councillors were presented the 2025 property tax rate bylaw, which will result in an estimated 7.2 per cent tax increase for an average single-family city dwelling.
At the April 17 city council meeting, chief financial officer Mallory Denniston presented the bylaw for first three readings.
Denniston said the Community Charter requires a five-year financial plan bylaw, and then a property tax rates bylaw to be adopted before May 15, annually. She said council adopted the five-year financial plan bylaw on March 27 to establish the 2025 property tax levy. She said next, on April 11, the city’s committee of the whole directed staff to prepare the 2025 property tax rates bylaw.
Denniston said the city’s average single-family dwelling taxes would increase an estimated $322 over 2024, or 8.6 per cent. She added that other authorities, such as qathet School District, qathet Regional District, qathet Regional Hospital District and others, also levy taxes.
“Council does not set the taxes for these authorities, but the city administers collection of these taxes on behalf of the other taxing authorities,” said Denniston. “These funds are remitted to the other taxing authorities and are not retained by the city.”
Denniston said the other tax collections would result in an additional $64 over 2024, for an estimated 3.9 per cent increase.
She said combining the city taxes and the taxation from other authorities, the estimated average single family dwelling increase would increase by $386, to an estimated $5,766 in 2025, or 7.2 per cent.
Denniston said if council voted for first three readings of the bylaw at the April 17 council meeting, it would be referred to the May 8 council meeting for adoption, to meet the legislated May 15 deadline.
“Property tax notices will then be prepared, and in the meantime, residents may use the city’s online property tax calculator to estimate their residential property tax,” said Denniston.
Councillor Trina Isakson said she wanted to mention that around this time, there is discussion in the community about how Powell River taxes are compared to other communities. She said she had data from last year to indicate where the city sits, comparatively.
Isakson said looking at total municipal taxes per capita, out of the 159 communities that report, municipal taxes on a representative house was 53rd, with combined taxes, the city was 48th, and total taxes on a representative house was 59th out of 159.
“I want to make sure the public has access to that sort of information in terms of how we compare to other communities in the province,” said Isakson.
Councillor George Doubt said the city was getting close to the end of the budgetary process. He said wherever he goes, talking to people, everyone tells him they feel taxes are higher than they would like them to be.
“I understand that, but every time the city gets together and talks about taxes, it’s a question of balance,” said Doubt. “We have to balance the services with the costs. Council has gone through quite a bit of work, with staff going through a lot of work, to try to narrow this down to as low a tax increase as we can have, while trying to get the appropriate balance of service for members of the community.
“I support the process that we have been through, and to me the taxes reflect an appropriate balance for the kind of services we need to have to make this coastal community one of the best places to live in the world.”
Council unanimously carried first three readings of the 2025 property tax rates bylaw.
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